The widow of a man whose remains were found under a motorway flyover said the eight years he was missing were the "toughest" of her life.
Police used dental records to identify the remains of Vinny Derrick, who vanished on a night out with colleagues in Manchester city centre in the early hours of August 30 2003.
They were found in an area beneath the flyover near junction 3 of the M60 in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on Wednesday night.
Vicki Derrick was in tears as she said she could now "rest easy".
Video: Human remains found under M60 bridge at Cheadle identified as Partington dad Vinny Derrick
But she said she still has a lot of questions which need to be answered about her husband's death.
"I was never going to be satisfied until Vinny was found," she said at a press conference. "I was never going to give up, I always wanted to believe that this day would come." She continued: "I keep saying whatever happened, happened on that night, and I can now rest easy with the fact I have always believed that. "There are lots of questions that I have and I am waiting to be answered. "The past eight years have been the toughest eight years of my life and it hasn't been easy. "It is quite ironic that we have now found Vinny and the struggle that I had all last year trying to get the presumption of death certificate etc and it's a bit ironic that now he has been found." Mrs Derrick's mother, Dawn Kelsall, said: "It is a relief but, as Victoria says, it's very, very hard. "Yes, we have wanted this answer for a long time but it was such a shock. It came out of the blue. You are going about your normal life and it was such a shock. "It is just like it was eight years ago. Just as hard. "There is not a week that goes by, in the eight years that we have gone through, that you don't think 'Is something going to come up? I wish they'd find him'. "And it is just such a shock now at how they have found him." Police said they are still not sure if Mr Derrick died in suspicious circumstances and are continuing to examine the scene.
Anyone with information is asked to call Stockport CID on 0161 856 9840, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Video: Human remains found under M60 bridge at Cheadle identified as Partington dad Vinny Derrick
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I've thought about this story over the 8 years since it happened, often wondering what had happened to Vinny, as it was strange to have just disappeared. When I heard the news of the discovery last week, I thought it could possibly be him. My thoughts go out to his loved ones, I'm glad they will get some closure and Vinny can finally be laid to rest. RIP.
So sorry to family and friends for your loss. A tragic story. I'm glad you have the first of many questions answered. Hope you receive more questions answers in the coming weeks.
R.I.P now vinny
Hopefully they'll be able to find out what happened to him now and get justice so he can rest in peace
Hopefully you can rebuild your life now and remember the good times. Best wishes to you for the future.
RIP Vinny.
Aw poor vinny - At least they can now say proper farewells and he can be laid to rest properly... thoughts are with the family at this very sad time.
Such a sad ending RIP
How awful, to be in limbo for all this time, not knowing what has happened to your loved one. I know it isn't much, bit at least the family have closure now, of sorts. Full closure will come only when they know how he died and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Sympathies to the Derrick family.
Really tragic case, watched this lady on TV a few weeks ago, highlighting the issue of having to wait 7 years before she could get her mortgage or life insurance paid out. She has struggled through no fault of her own. Her husband went out one night and never came back until this tragic find 8 years later. Horrible to think that millions of vehicles have probably passed with yards of the guys body. Hope it's all settled soon and they find out what actually happened to him. I remember he was last seen by a taxi driver if memmeory serves?....
Poor woman. Hope she can now resume her life.
Rest in peace Vinny and I do hope the police gets to the bottom of this mystery.
Such a shame R.I.P Vinny
I can't help wondering why he wasn't found during the initial search.
That area is a convergence of slip roads,fly-overs & railway embankments with pockets of no-mans land in between. Wasn't his last known location on the A34 almost at this spot ? surely these areas were plotted out and systematically searched.
R.I.P Vinny. I hope the family can find some closure amongst the pain.
I dont know you Vicki and I never knew Vinny but I hope you can move on in life I know you will never forget him but God bless you and RIP Vinny.
Not the conclusion everybody was hoping for,prayers & thought for Vinny's family & friends. RIP
it is such a sad case for all the family, i hope they can now find the courage to live some sort of happy life, knowing they will always remember vinny,and that he is at peace
such a very sad case for all the family,i hope they can find some sort of happiness in the future with their lives,to suffer 8 years of torment is unfair , my thoughts are with you and RIP vinney
my thoughts to the family concerned
i was allways under the impression that motorway bridges and flyovers were inspected regulary to check for movement or stress, eight years seem a long time between checks......
R I P Vinny. You've never been forgotten.
R.I.P Vinny. You've never been forgottten and have often been talked about at the cargo centre. We all remember the good nights out. I hope now they get to the bottom of what happened that night xx.
Vinny was both my uncles best friend, and a family friend, all we have been thinking about is Vinny, I slightly remeber vinny when I was a child, and he was like a dad to me, and I remember staying up till 10oClock with my mum in Shepshed with my mum about 8 years ago to listen to the reporters asking if anyone know where he went, and if he went missing.
RIP Uncle Vinny, miss you x
great relief for all his family and friends its so sad my thoughts are with them all rip vinny
Our thoughts are with the family who can finally lay Vinny to rest but the police have some serious questions to answer here, this area would have been searched surely?